Worm simulating toy



May 13, 1952 c. F. DAwsoN woRM SIMULATING Toy Filed June 16. 1950CLIFFORD F. DAWSON AT TORNEYS Patented May 13, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENToFEicE WORM SIMULATING TOY Clifford F. Dawson, Wallingford, Vt.

Application .Tune` 16, 1950, Serial No. 168,538

(Cl. tlli-4M) 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a mechanical toy, and more particularly tosuch a toy which is adapted to crawl across the surface and simulate themotions of a worm or the like.

An object of this invention is to provide a mechanical toy which isparticularly adapted to crawl over a surface with its central sectionalternately rising into a humped position and dropping into a straightposition intermediate the head and tail sections of the toy.

Another object of this invention is to provide a mechanical toy in whichthe head and tail sections alternately approach and recede from eachother.

A further object of this invention is to provide a mechanical toy inwhich the head section is movable forwardly to elect the recedingmovement with respect to the tail section, and the central section ismoved into a humped position to effect the approaching movement of thehead and tail sections with respect to each other.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a worm-simulatingmechanical toy which is simple in construction and relatively cheap tomanufacture.

The above and still further objects and advantages of the invention willbecome apparent upon consideration of the following detailedvdescription of the invention, when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1l is a side elevational view, with parts broken away and insection, of the worm-simulating toy of the present invention, shown inits humped position;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevational view of the head section of theworm-simulating toy of the present invention, showing the operatingmechanisms for eiecting a movement of the toy; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referringnow more particularly to the drawings, wherein like referencenumerals have been used throughout the several views to designate likeparts, there is shown the worm-simulating toy of the present invention,generally designated by the numeral IIJ, which comprises a hollow bodyII including a head section I2, a tail section I3 disposed in end-to-endspaced relation with respect to the head section I2, and a centralconnecting section I4 fabricated of any suitable flexible materialdisposed intermediate the head and tail sections and securedtherebetween.

Disposed transversely of the head section I2 is a drive shaft I5 whichhas one end journaled in one side Wall of the head section, as indicatedby the reference numeral I6, Figure 3, and has its other end operativelyconnected to the drive element of a spring motor I'I which is disposedinteriorly of the head section I2 and supported on a side wall thereof.The spring motor Il is wound by means of a key I8 Which is disposedexteriorly of the head section I2 contiguous to the wall supporting thespring motor and is operatively connected to the spring motor by meansof a connecting shaft I9.

The bottom wall of the head section I2 is provided with two spacedapart, transversely extending slots, generally designated by thereference numerals 2li, 2|. Disposed transversely of the head section I2and overlying the slot 20 is a iront axle 22 which has its endsrotatably journaled in the opposed side walls of the head section, asclearly indicated by the reference numerals 23, 24, Figure 3. Carried bythe front` axle 22 in spaced opposed relation with respect to each otherare the front wheels 25, 26 which have their peripheries extendingthrough the slot 20 for engagement with a ground surface.

overlying the slot 2| is a transversely disposed rear axle 2l, the axlebeing rotatably jo'urnaled in the side walls of the head section I2 andcarrying the rear wheels, generally designated by the reference numeral28. Accordingly. the head section I2 is mobile and can traverse a groundsurface.

Disposed longitudinally of the head section I2 above the drive shaft l5isa rod 29 which is mounted intermediate its ends for reciprocatorymovement longitudinally of the head section I2 by means of the spacedapart gouides 30, 3 I. One end of the rod 29 extends into the flexiblecentral section I4 and is movable toward and away from the latter uponreciprocation of the rod 29. Crcumposed about the other end of the rod29 is a spring 32 which normally urges the rod 29 into a positionwherein the rod 29 is `biased' away from the flexible central sectionI4.

Disposed within the flexible section I 4 is a plate 33 which is carriedby the head section i2. Disposed longitudinally by the flexible sectionI is an L-shaped lever, generally designated by the reference numeral34, which is supported intermediate its long leg 35 and its short leg 36on the plate 33 for rocking movement about a transverse axis provided bythe pivot pin 31 from a horizontal position to a vertical position. Asclearly shown in Figure 2, the adjacent end of the rod 29 .bears againstthe short leg 36 of the lever 34 and urges the lever to the dotted lineposition shown in Figure 2 upon movement of the rod 29 toward theflexible section IlI. When the lever 34 assumes the vertical position,as clearly shown in Figure 1, the flexible central section I4 will beurged into its humped position. It is to be noted that the lever 34 iscounterbalanced so that it will normally assume the horizontal positionwhen the rod 29 is brought out of engagement with the short leg 36thereof.

Disposed within the tail section I3 is a Weight, generally designated bythe reference numeral 3B, the weight providing the desired drag to thetail section and cooperating with the central and head sections toeffect the desired movement of the toy.

Carried by the drive shaft I5 is a coupling meansfgenerally designatedby the reference numeral il), which is alternately engageable with therotary axis of the front wheels 25, 2li, and the rod 23 for periodicallyeffecting the rotary movement of the former and the movement of thelatter toward and away from the flexible central section Id. Thecoupling means 4l) embodies a sector gear lil arranged axially on thedrive shaft i5 and secured thereto. periphery of the sector gear 4I isprovided with gear teeth #l2 for engagement with a pinion gear i3carried by the front axle 22. Accordingly, during a portion of therotary cycle of the sector gear l I, the teeth 42 will mesh with theteeth ofthe pinion 43 to thereby effect the movement of the front wheels25, 26,'and to cause the head section to move forwardly along thesupporting surface. The coupling means 40 further embodies an eccentricpin 61% disposed transversely of ,the sector gear lll and securedthereto. The pin M is selectively engageable with a xed lug i5 dependingfrom the rod 29. The spacing of the pin 44 is selected with respect tothe gear teeth 42, so that the pin 44 and lug i5 are engageable witheach other during the portion of the rotary cycle of the sector gear inwhich the teeth i2 are not in meshing engagement with the pinion 43. Asclearly shown in Figure 2, counterclockwise movement of the sector gear4I during the period in which the pin 44 bears against the lug will urgethe rod 29 toward the flexible central section I4 into engagement withthe lever 34 to thereby cause the flexible section I to assume itshumped position. Accordingly, the toy will crawl over the supportingsurface with its Ycentral section alternately rising into a bumpedposition and dropping into a straight position intermediate the head andtail sections.

1n actual use, the spring motor I'I is manually Wound by means of thekey I8 and the toy III is supported on a surface to be traversed. Uponrelease, the control wheel 4I will alternately actuate the lever 34 andthe front wheels 25, 26 to thereby cause the toy to crawl across thesurface and to simulate the motions ofa worm.

Although only one embodiment of the mechanical worm-simulating toy ofthe present invention has been described, numerous modifications can bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth inthe appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a toy, an elongated hollow body including a head section, a tailsection spaced axially from said head section, and a center sectionpositioned A portion of the outer between and connected at its ends tothe adjacent ends of the h'ead and tail sections, said center sectionbeing flexible relative to said head and tail sections, an endwiseslidable rod mounted longitudinallyv in said head section, spring meansnormally biasing said rod forwardly in said head section to aninoperative position, a lever pivotally mounted on the rear of said headsection having a first arm extending in said center section, said firstarm being weighted to normally occupy a reclining position extendinglongitudinally of the head section, said lever having a second armprojecting laterally with respect to said first arm and normallyoccupying a transverse position relative to said head section and in theregion of the rearward end of said endwise slidable rod,

and motor means in said head section including a rotary member having aportion periodically engaged with a portion on said rod for pushing saidrod rearwardly against the resistance of said spring means so as toengage said rod against said second lever arm and swing said rst leverarm to a position transverse to said head section and thereby flex saidYcenter section out of alignment with said head and tail sections.

2. In a toy, an elongated hollow body including a head section, a tailsection spaced axially from said head section, and a center sectionpositioned between and connected at its ends to the adjacent ends of thehead and tail sections, said center section being flexible relative tosaid head and tail sections, an endwise slidable rod mountedlongitudinally in said head section, spring means normally biasing saidrod forwardly in said head section to an inoperative position, a leverpivotally mounted on the rear of said head section having a iirst armextending in said center section, said first arm being weighted tonormally occupy a reclining position extending longitudinally of thehead section, said lever having a second arm projecting laterally withrespect to said first arm and normally occupying a transverse positionrelative to said head section and in the region of the rearward end ofsaid endwise slidable rod, and motor means in said head sectionincluding a rotary member having a portion periodically engaged with aportion on said rod for pushing said rod rearwardly against theresistance of said spring means so as to engage said rod against saidsecond lever arm and -swing said first lever arm to a positiontransverse to said head section and thereby ilex said center section outof alignment with said hea`d and tail sections, said head section havingground engaging wheel means thereon, and means operatively connectingsaid rotary member to said wheel means whereby said wheel means isoperatedonly While said endwise slidable rod is idle in inoperativeposition.V

' yCLIFFORD F. DAWSON.

REFERENCES CITED y' The following references are of record in the fileof this patent:

